Dear Reader,

I’m so glad you’re here.

If you've been with me for a while, you know that I write in bursts: some seasons were full of weekly reflections, others pretty quiet for months on end. For someone who loves to stay in touch, "creating content" has proved to be remarkably challenging! But it's also true that writing helps me unravel my thoughts and feelings, and I do enjoy it on the whole.

Well, I'm always telling my clients to run experiments, so this new project will be an attempt to create a steadier rhythm and a more intentional container for exploring the themes that matter most to my work: personality, connection, intimacy, and the inner (and outer) landscapes that shape them.

Mapping Relational Intelligence is a monthly letter dedicated to helping you understand yourself and your relationships with more clarity and compassion. Ideally, it will also serve to give you more choice and capacity, by encouraging you to view yourself and your relationship from new perspectives. Think of it as a guide for navigating the terrain between who you’ve been, who you’re becoming, and how you love along the way.

Each issue will offer one or more of the following:

• A research-based insight or framework
• A practical exercise or reflection you can apply immediately
• Anonymized stories or client-inspired examples to bring concepts to life
• Resources that support deeper exploration

My goal is to make each letter useful enough that you want to save it, return to it, or share it with someone you care about. The next issue will be about defining relational intelligence, and how to think of our relationships as arenas for personal growth.

Wishing you and yours a loving and peaceful December holiday season, and I'll see you in January. Thank you for being part of this next chapter. ✨

Love,
Doris

Soul Signals

In the meantime, here are some things that have been on my mind, and helping me connect with my heart and soul:

Pyramids & Pools Martha Beck in conversation with Niall McKeever about changing the world. Watch Video

Poetry & Grief Megan processing Andrea's death and continuing their Substack with great warmth and depth. Read article

Truth & Magic Another beautiful novel from Matt Haig: "It seems to me that if you want truth, if you want to lead a full and aware life, you should head towards possibility, towards mystery and movement, towards travel or change, because when you find the universality within that, you find yourself." Read sample